Receptacle for holding and storing liquid air or other liquid gases.



No. 644,259. Patented Feb. 27, I900.

- 0. P. OSTERGREN. RECEPTACLE FOB HOLDING AND STORING LIQUID AIR OROTHER LIQUID GASES.

(Application filed May 1, 1899.)

(No Model.)

, INVENTOR WITNESSES 5. n; AUG??? 4 THE Nuams PEFERS 00.. movoumn,WASHINGTON. u. c.

OSCAR PATRIC OSTERGREN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RECEPTACLE FOR HOLDING AND STORING LIQUID AIR OR OTHER LIQUID GASES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,259, dated February27, 1900.

Application filed May 1, 1899. Serial No. 715,156. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OSCAR PATRIO OsTER GREN, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of New York, (Brooklyn,)

Kings county, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Receptacles for Holding and Storing Liquid Air or otherLiquid Gases, of which the following is a specification.

M yinvention relates to receptacles for holding and storing liquid airor other liquefied gases; and to this end it consists in a vessel dulyinsulated and protected from the external or latent heat of theatmosphere.

The receptacle embodying my invention comprises aninterior vesselarranged to hold the liquid and an exterior casing of porous material ofsuch size and shape that a space shall be left between it and theinterior vessel. An opening in the interior vessel communicates withthis space and is preferably provided with a non-return or checkvalve.The outer porous casing is itself provided with a discharge-orifice, towhich is fitted a valve or plug.

The object of my invention is to preserve and store liquefied air orother gases by utilizing some of its own products of evaporation tosurround the vessel containing the liquid, and thereby to insulate thesame from the latent heat of the atmosphere.

I will now proceed to describe a receptacle embodying my invention, andwill then point out the novel features in the claims. 7

Figure 1. is a central vertical section of a receptacle embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional View of one form of porouscasing which may be employed.

Reference character 5 designates a vessel adapted to receive the liquidto be stored. It is preferably of globular form, though it may be of anydesired shape, as convenient. This vessel I prefer to make of glass orof copper. It may of course be of any other suitable material. It isprovided at or near its upper end with an orifice 6, through which itmay be filled and emptied, and also through which products ofevaporation may pass, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

7 designates a hollow casing conforming in shape to the interior vessel5, which it is adapted to surround. Its interior diameter, however, isslightly greater than the exterior diameter of the hollow vessel 5.Ahollow space 8 is thus left between them.

The vessel 5 is preferably supported within the casing 7 byspacing-pieces 9. The said casin 7 is made of sgrnepgrpus material, suchg lpdr dusjcfibjonjpressed cork, or the like. It is man; in two parts inorder that the vessel 5 may be placed in position therein and isprovided with a suitable stand or support 14. The upper portion of thecasing has an opening or orifice 10, to which is fitted a screwvalveplug 16. The valve-plug is provided with a series of discharge-ports 17,arranged on different levels, which ports will afford communication fromthe outside atmosphere to the interior of the vessel in proportion asthe valve-plug is raised or lowered. The opening 10 is preferablyarranged opposite the opening 6 in the interior vessel 5.

18 is a valve or closure of flexible material, preferably leather,secured to the lower end of the stem of the plug 16 and adapted, whensaid plug is screwed down, to rest upon and close the orifice 6 againstthe passage of currents of fluid in one direction, thus acting as acheck-valve. When, however, the p1ug16 is raised as by unscrewing same,the valve 18 is raised with it and rendered inoperativethat is to say,the orifice 6 is left clear for the passage of fluid in eitherdirection.

The operation of the device is as follows: It being desired to fill thevessel, the screwplug 16 is removed and the liquefied air or other gaswhich it may be desired to store is poured through the opening 10 andorifice 6 into the vessel 5. The screw-plug is then returned to itsplace and screwed down home. The heat of the vessel will cause a certainamount of the liquefied air to evaporate,which vapor will pass upwardthrough the orifice 6, lifting the valve-leather 18, and will fill thehollow space 8. Theintensely-cold products of evaporation will thenattempt to force their way through the porous casing, and, in fact, willgradually do so, repelling the warm atmospheric air on the exterior ofthe casing, and thus efiectively insulating the interior vessel from thelatent heat of the atmosphere.

When it is desired to utilize the liquid air for such purposes asrefrigeration, it is only necessary to partially unscrew the plug 16,and, in accordance with the number of discharge-ports uncovered, so willmore or less air be discharged.

Should it be desired to discharge a still greater quantity at a time,the plug may be entirely removed, in which case the Warm atmospheric airentering through the opening will supply suificient heat to cause therequired evaporation.

In Fig. 2 Ihave shown another form of porous casing which I may employ,in which two perforated vessels, one within the other, are provided andthe space between them filled up with sawdust, excelsior, or the like.The perforated vessels might be of wire mesh. In fact, there are manyforms in which the said porous casing might be made, and I do notwish tolimit myselfto any particular form or material. J

What I claim is-- 1. In areceptacle for holding liquid air or otherliquids vaporizable at atmospheric temperatures and pressure, thecombination of an interior vessel for holding the liquid, with anexterior porous casing surrounding same, a space being arranged betweenthe interior vessel and the porous casing, and an orifice in theinterior of the vessel opening into said space, the exterior of the saidporous casing being exposed to the atmosphere, substantially asspecified.

2. In a receptacle for holding liquid air or other liquids vaporizableat atmospheric temperatures and pressure,the combination of an interiorvessel for holding the liquid, with an exterior porous casingsurrounding same, a space being arranged between the interior Vessel andthe porous casing, an orifice in the interior vessel opening into saidspace,'the exterior of the said porous casing being exposed to theatmosphere, and a non-return valve fitted to said opening, whereby fluidis permitted normally to pass in one direction only, substantially asspecified.

3. In a receptacle for holding liquids, the combination of an interiorvessel for holding the liquid, with an exterior porous casingsurrounding same, a space being arranged between the interior vessel andthe porous casing, an orifice in the interior vessel opening into saidspace, and a non-return valve fitted to said opening whereby fluid ispermitted normally to pass in one direction only, an opening in saidporous casing, a valve fitted thereto, a connection between said valveand said non-return valve whereby when the former is opened the latteris rendered inoperative, thereby permitting the passage of fluid ineither direction, substantially as specified.

Signed by me at New York this 29th day of April, 1899.

- OSCAR PATRIO OSTERGREN.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL MAJOR GARDENLINE, RITA BRADT.

